National League Roundup : Pirates Beat Astros, Get Back on Course

The Pittsburgh Pirates knew their hopes of snapping out of a slump that threatened to knock them out of the race in the National League East depended mainly on Doug Drabek and Andy Van Slyke.

All season long, Drabek has been the Pirates’ most dependable pitcher and Van Slyke has been the best player.

Drabek (13-6) pitched a strong seven innings Sunday at Houston and Van Slyke singled in the tie-breaking run in a three-run eighth that carried the Pirates to a 4-3 victory over the Astros.

The Pirates played the best baseball in the majors down the stretch last year. In a contending position this season it has been a different story. Van Slyke wants the Pirates to play the way they did a year ago.

“We need to relax and let it fly,” he said. “We have to start having fun again. We have to play .700 ball to win it. We did early in the season. We can do it again.”

Manager Jim Leyland had praise for Drabek. “He’s pitched great for us,” he said. “He’s been a stopper even though we don’t score for him.”

In ending a three-game losing streak, the Pirates pulled back to within 6 1/2 games of the New York Mets and dropped the Astros 5 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the West.

The Astros, near the bottom in home runs, hit three of them. Glenn Davis and Billy Hatcher hit them off Drabek. Kevin Bass cut the Pirates’ lead to a run in the ninth with a homer off Jim Gott, who went on to get his 25th save.

It was the Pirates’ only victory in their six games in the Astrodome this season. After seven innings, it didn’t appear they would win any in Houston this season.

Danny Darwin (6-11) went into the eighth with a six-hitter and a 2-1 lead. But he walked one pinch-hitter and hit another and Juan Agosto came in to face the third pinch-hitter, Jose Lind. Lind singled home the tying run and Van Slyke singled in the winning run. The third run came in when another reliever, Larry Andersen, made an error.

San Francisco 7, New York 4--The luckless Giants lost another pitcher because of injury, but they ended their four-game losing streak by scoring four runs in the ninth at New York.

After giving up three runs in the first three innings, Mike Krukow collided with Mets’ catcher Mackey Sasser on a play at first base in the bottom of the fourth. Krukow, who has a lifetime 20-7 record against the Mets, reinjured his right shoulder and had to depart. Sasser bruised his knee and also left the game.

It was a 3-3 game going into the ninth. The go-ahead run scored when Roger McDowell hit Joel Youngblood, celebrating his 37th birthday, with the bases loaded. Kirt Manwaring followed with a single and all three runners scored, Youngblood bowling over catcher Barry Lyons.

The Mets played one of baseball’s outstanding prospects, 20-year-old Gregg Jefferies, at third base. He went 2 for 5.

Dwight Gooden gave up 7 hits and 3 runs in 6 innings and walked 5, the worst outing for a Mets’ starter in the last 6 games. In fact, except for his game at Dodger Stadium last week, he has been the least effective Mets’ starter for the last month.

The Giants already have had 11 players on the disabled list and have been forced to use relievers as starters.

San Diego 5, Montreal 3--Pinch-hitter Keith Moreland hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly at Montreal to break a 3-3 tie in the ninth inning and the Padres won for the 9th time in 11 games.

Tim Flannery, 4 for 4, followed with a single and an extra run.

The Expos lost starter Pascual Perez after he was called for his second balk in the sixth inning, which allowed Flannery to score. He, and Dennis Martinez, sitting in the dugout, were thrown out for arguing with umpire Bob Davidson.

St. Louis 5, Cincinnati 3--After breaking four bats while being jammed earlier in the series at Cincinnati, Cardinal catcher Tony Pena broke the pennant hopes of the Reds.

Pena hit a three-run home run off Tom Browning in the sixth inning to bring the Cardinals’ back from a 3-2 deficit and drop the Reds 9 games behind the Dodgers.

Bob Forsch (9-4), who appeared to be a loser, won his third in a row and fifth in his last six decisions.

Atlanta 4, Chicago 2--The Braves’ highly-touted rookie, John Smoltz, pitched a strong eight innings at Atlanta to improve his record to 2-4.

Smoltz gave up four hits and struck out six in eight innings. The only Chicago runs came on Mitch Webster’s two-run home run in the third inning.

Lonnie Smith hit his first homer for the Braves.